Tag: Reviews

RecommendationAlthough the Guarantee3 Basketball Trainer has multiple uses, from my experience, it is not worth purchasing if your focus is on improving your shooting range. In addition, I encountered major durability issues in the product. I am guessing that my overall wrist / arm strength has improved from using the Guarantee 3 over three weeks, but I cannot see any clear improvement in how far I can shoot the ball. This is likely due to my shot mechanics, as the Pro Shooting System suggests. However, I do like it as a tool that can help improve the strength in both arms and can be used indoors without a basketball. This was particularly helpful during the recent California rain storms.

Background

The Guarantee 3 is like a belt that adds resistance to your hands and arms with resistance bands. Thus if you practice your shooting motion or dribbling with it, you can imagine how your body can become stronger this way.

I was given a Guarantee3 review sample by Kristen Lavoie at ChicExecs. I also talked to Dave Felkel, the inventor, over a phone call. Both were very nice. Dave mentioned that the dribbling use for Guarantee3 is not necessarily just for strengthening your dribble – it also gets you used to dribbling low to the ground, a bit like the Dribblepro Training Basketball.

It is also great in that you can watch TV and work out without affecting anyone (noise, furniture damage).

I never experienced muscle soreness while using the band, even though I used the shortest band to create more difficulty and did many more reps than suggested. The workout entails 30 reps increasing gradually to 60 reps. I did 150+ reps 5 days a week for 3+ weeks before the strap on the hand tore (shown below) off – I had planned to continue this for six weeks.

In addition, the bands created so much friction on my arm as to eventually cause bleeding (I wore an arm band to stop further injury).

Steve Nash’s 20 Minute Workout, a shooting workout featured in his MVP Basketball Fundamentals DVD set, is the most important part of my shooting practice and worth purchasing. Particularly as I am older (35 years old now), I don’t necessarily have hours to put in for a complete practice session. Thus, this workout does a great job of getting me ready for games and really helping me understand what kind of shots I should feel comfortable with in game situations. I have been using it for years, and I appreciate how much it focuses my practice rather than just having me shoot shots around the court.

RecommendationAfter over a decade of trying different ways to shoot, reading tips, training with different devices, the Pro Shot Shooting System is the only thing I recommend for experienced shooters (not necessarily great ones, just those who are more mature / set in mechanics and in their playing). It is completely free and resulted in clear results for me, not only in practice, but in games. You can watch the following two videos to learn more as well:

Background
I have been studying shooting in efforts to shoot better on a more consistent level for well over the last decade. Luckily, the Internet has made more of this information accessible. Unluckily, much of the information is opinion and as I would try things, I could not tell what was working.

I have tried numerous devices over the years, all with arguable effect. Overall, I never found anything truly worthwhile until I started reading 10 Shooting Lies on FocusedShooter.com. (Ignore the visual mess of the website) What I really like about the Lies article is that Paul Hoover, the author, does not simply state his opinion. He shows video footage of NBA players (good ones) doing all the things that he discussed. Thus, when one lie is staying square to the basket, he shows how no one actually does this. Same thing for jumping straight up and down during the shooting motion (everyone sweeps their feet).

In addition, practicing the Pro Shot Shooting System does not require any new devices or purchase. You can download a 150 page PDF file (you can read it very quickly to understand what needs to be done) for free.

Once I read the article, and started trying these tips, I immediately (within one session) could see more consistent strength and accuracy on shots. Unlike any training device I have tried, it is indisputable that I am better when I practice under the System. It does not require any training devices, and when I notice myself out of form, I read the PDF again to make sure I have all the key tips in my mind as I shoot and I find that I can quickly rediscover the right form. However, two things I still cannot do are shoot with one finger (like Kobe Bryant) and focus on the ball’s flight path while shooting.

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I write whatever I feel like, and often do so foolishly. Opinions here are always my own unless explicitly mentioned otherwise.
Professionally, I am a startup warrior and I hold a MBA from Kellogg (Northwestern). I live in the San Francisco Bay Area (California).